Millstone-dress



2 Sheets-Sheet 1. V T. B. STOUT. Grinding Mill.

Patented Nov. 11, 1856.

2 Sheets--Sheet 2.

T. STOUT.. Grinding Mill. No. 16,074. l Patented Nov. 11, 1856.

Fay e UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOS. B. STOUT, OF KEYPORT, NEV JERSEY.

MILLSTONE-DRESS.

Specification of Letters Patent No.

T0 all whom t may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS B. SToUT, of Keyport, in the county of Monmouth and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Portable Will for Grinding; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, Figure l being a vertical central section; Fig. 2, a top view of the same, the grinders being removed; Fig. 3, a top view, the grinders and top platform being removed; Fig. Lt, a top view of the lower grinder or runner; Fig. 5, View of the under side or grinding surface of the upper or stationary grinder; Fig. 6, top view of the millstep and bridge-tree.

Like letters designate parts in all the figures.

The nature of my invention consists in the mode of forming the furrows of the grinders, so that the vertical edges of the central furrows shall meet, and crush the grain, and the inclined surfaces of the peripheral furrows meet and pulverize it, in connection with plane surfaces left between corresponding them, said peripheral furrows also being inclined to the radii as hereinafter set` forth.

The grinders B, C, are made mostly of wood, their grinding faces a, ZJ, being made of thin cast-iron plates. These faces are cast in equal sections, so that a certain number will fill the entire circle, in order to avoid the warping and springing which would take place if the whole plate were cast in one piece, and which would render the plate unfit for the purpose intended. The number of sections is one greater on one grinder than on the other, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5; where the revolving grinder C, has eight, and the stationary grinder B, has but seven. The object of this arrangement is to prevent the furrows of one grinder meeting the furrows of the other, all at the same time; but to offer as many different successive moments for meeting, as there are sections on one grinder. The advantages of equalizing the feed, thereby pro ducing evenness of motion, preventing strain, and of economizing power, are thus gained. The desired depth and form of furrows, are cast on the faces of the sec tions. I employ a peculiar arrangement of furrows as follows:

First, the main furrows d, el, pass from 16,074, dated November 11, 1856.

the inner edges of the sections outward to within say about one fourth of the whole distance to the periphery, therefrom, being deepest at the inner ends and gradually diminishing in depth outward till they run out at the surface. The ridges between these furrows are brought to an edge at their inner ends; but toward the outer ends, spread out into a plane surface, as represented in Figssfl and 5. These edges and surfaces of the opposite grinders are nearly in contact, and the abrupt, or vertical edges meet, so that a powerful cutting action takes place. Said inner furrows are nearly parallel, in each section, and their direction is a little to the right of the centers of the grinders. Open spaces g g, are left around the centers of the grinders, as represented in the drawings, for the purpose of conducting the grain between the grinders.

Second, a series of peripheral furrows c, c, inclined at a considerable angle to the radial furrows CZ, cl, and having their sides inclined in the opposite direction to that of the central furrows, so that the inclined surfaces will meet by the revolution of the runner, are formed outside of the main furrows, substantially as represented. These furrows are much shallower than the furrows CZ, d, and a considerable plane surface is left between them. Thus, while the inner furrows crush the grain to a consider able degree of fineness and convey it toward the peripheries of the grinders, these outer furrows serve to pulverize the whole into fine meal; or rather the plane surfaces of the opposite grinders being nearly or quite in contact effectually complete the grinding, while these outer furrows serve to force the reduced particles of grain between those surfaces, and to discharge the meal.

Certain other parts of the mill, as represented in the drawings, although having no necessary connection with the subjectmatter of my invention, I will here briefly describe.

A balance cap P, is secured in the runner C, by means of a wide flange r. It has a conical projection in the center of its cavity, which poises the' runner upon the end of the spindle E. Through the spindle passes a pin u, the projecting ends of which tit into a suitable depression in the balance cap, and thus couples the runner to the spindle.

In the bottom of the runner C, and not far from its periphery, is a concentric annular groove e, say an inch or two in depth. Into this groove extends an annular ring, or cylinder f, the lower edge of which is attached to the platform D. By this device, all flour and dust are excluded from the space around the spindle outside of said ring and groove. And as another cylinder S, closely surrounds the flour space, all the flour necessarily passes down the tube H, to the receptacle below. An aperture la, through the platform D, near the spindle E, permits a current of air outward below the runner. The size of the opening is regulated by a valve g.

A portion of the spindle around and below the bush is inclosed by a box N, with sliding plates z', z', at the bottom. Inside of this box and a little below the bush, is secured an oil cup T around the spindle, being closely packed around its surface, or otherwise arranged, so as to make the cup tight. On the inside of the bush opposite to the direction in which the driving band extends, or on the side which does not wear in revolving, is formed a notch, or recess. In this notch is suspended, by a cord j, a small block Zz, of metal or other suitable material. To the other end of the cord, which passes out to a convenient place at the side of the mill and thence down over a pulley, is attached a weight Z, suiiiciently heavy to hold the block lo, up in its place. When the bush is to be oiled, the weight Z, is raised, by which the block 7c, is allowed to descend into the cup I containing the oil, and thus becomes smeared therewith. The weight Z, is then permitted to fall, whereby the block 7c, is

again drawn up into the bush; and lubricates it. Any equivalent arrangement may be employed. Thus by providing a carrier 7c, to pass between the oil reservoir, and bush, the inconvenience heretofore experienced in oiling mill-bushes is obviated. A similar arrangement may be employed vbelow the driving pulley I, whenever it may be necessary or desirable to add another bush near the bottom of the spindle.

In the top of the mill-step Q, is formed an annular groove o, leaving only a narrow edge around the `journal cup, which the shoulder of t-he spindle covers and overhangs. From this groove, holes p, p, pass down through the surrounding guide-bar Gr, outside of the bridge-tree M. Thus, whatever dust, or dirt, may get on the step, is conveyed away, and the journal cup kept entirely free thereof. An annular groove n, in t-he bottom of the pulley I, and a cylinder m, passing up into it, similar to the groove and ring e, f, above described, may also be employed to exclude dirt from the lower part of the spindle.

I do not claim making the furrows of different dept-hs, nor simply terminating deep furrows with shallower ones at the periphery, as I am aware that the equivalents of such have before been used; but

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- The combined arrangement of furrows upon the grinding plates, viz.: the inner furrows cZ, (Z having their abrupt edges on the two grinders, meeting by the revolution of the runner, deep at the central ends but running out to the surface at the outer ends; while the peripheral furrows are arranged oblique to the inner furrows, their edges inclined in the opposite direction, and having a considerable proportion of plane surface between them, substantially in the manner and for the purposes described.

The above specification of my new and improved port-able mill for grinding, signed by me this twenty fourth day of December 1855.

THOS. B. STOUT.

Witnesses:

JOHN R. BEDLE, ELISA I-I. BEDLE. 

